The present invention relates to entertainment systems for use in the lodging industry. In particular, the present invention is an entertainment system which permits a guest to select television programs to be recorded and to view previously-recorded television programs at a later time in the guest room.
The past two decades have seen the wide scale introduction of entertainment systems in hotels and other lodging facilities which provide a variety of services to the guest through the guest room television. The range of services typically include regular off-air television programs, pay-per-view movies, Internet access, and guest services such as video shopping and video checkout.
Lodging entertainment systems typically include a head end which is located within the lodging facility and which is linked to guest terminals in the individual guest rooms by an MATV cable distribution system. The distribution system provides transmission of both audio/video RF signals, as well as two way data and digital communication (typically RF) signals between the head end and guest terminals.
Typically, lodging entertainment systems are not owned by the hotel, but rather are provided by a vendor who provides the head end equipment, and the guest terminal (including the television, remote control, game controller, keyboard, and associated control circuitry which interfaces the television to the distribution system).
The entertainment system vendor owns the equipment and pays for the installation of the system in the lodging facility. The vendor must also provide the content, such as movies, games, and cable/satellite programming. The vendor receives compensation based upon amounts the hotel collects from the guest for pay-per-view movies, games, Internet access, and other services for which charges are made. The hotel usually receives a percentage of the guest charges, and the sources of content, such as motion picture studios and game program vendors, receive royalties for movies and games which are viewed and played by guest.
In many cases, a guest may not purchase any of the services being offered through the entertainment system. The amount of purchases depend upon the popularity of the movies and other products/services being offered, vacancy rates at the hotel, the demographics of the guests, and the extent of free offerings available through the entertainment system.
There is a continuing need for new and improved offerings which will result in higher purchase rates through the lodging entertainment system. At the same time, any additional products/services which also require significant increases in capital investment in the entertainment systems are difficult to justify. For example, if a new service will require additional capital equipment to be installed in every guest room, or will require the addition of expensive hardware or software at the head end, the total cost of the additional hardware and software must be weighed against the increase in purchases which can be expected from the additional capital investment.